Happily Ever After: A Lupin Family Story
by aviciousunicycle
Summary: An AU story where Remus and Tonks survive the War. Remus is back working as a professor, Tonks is an auror training Harry. They're finally getting a chance to settle into domestic life when Tonks gets some news that turns everything upside down. This is fluff. Adorable, sappy Remus/Tonks fluff.
1. Big News

Author's Note: This is an AU Harry Potter fic set after the war, but with Tonks and Lupin surviving. Remus is now employed, once again, as a professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Tonks is an auror who is overseeing the training of Harry (and Neville, to a lesser extent). This is also set in the modern day. Well, I mean, this chapter is set in November of 2016, so...fairly present depending on when you're reading this.  
This was originally posted on AO3.

* * *

Remus sat at his desk, eating a sandwich and reading over a stack of third year essays, when he heard the pecking of an owl's beak against his office window. Bracing himself against the chill of early November, he opened the pane enough for the bird to enter. It perched itself upon the edge of his desk and stared longingly at his food.  
He removed the letter bound to its leg, then offered it a bit of the roast beef from his sandwich. With a snap of its sharp beak, the bird took the proffered meat before taking flight out the window back to wherever it had originated.  
After pushing closed the stubborn window, Remus turned to the letter on his desk. It had begun to unroll of its own accord, now loosed from the twine binding it to the messenger's leg. He could see that it was a short message in his wife's familiar print.

 _Remus-_

 _I have something important to talk to you about when you get home. Which is to say, you shouldn't stay late tonight._

 _-Dora_

He sat back against his desk chair and rubbed his jaw in thought.  
To say that the letter was a bit worrying would be a massive understatement.  
Of course, Remus was a bit of a worrier.  
Before he had a chance to become too worried, though, a chiming sound and the chattering of fourth years entering his classroom forced his attention back to work.

However, this was not to last.  
Shortly after he had set the class's assignment, a Ravenclaw girl in the back row shot her hand up, "Professor Lupin! There's an owl at your window!"  
"Thank you, Nadine," he said, nodding as he made his way back to the window in question, where a different, smaller owl was pecking at the glass.  
Remus opened it and the owl hopped inside; he removed the note from its leg as it watched him carefully.  
"I don't have anything to give you," he said in a voice, firm but with a hint of apology. The owl gave a dejected hoot before turning and flying away.  
As Remus shut the window, he took a look at the even shorter note in his hand.

 _P.S. It's nothing bad, I promise._

 _Because I know you and I know you were worried._

 _So don't._

 _-N.T._

He rolled his eyes and stuffed the note into the pocket of his robe.  
This woman would be the death of him.

* * *

Remus pushed open the door to his family's small Hogsmeade cottage and called, "Dora?"  
The answer came by way of a thump followed by a hushed, "Not yet, Teddy!"  
"Dora?" he called again, hanging his cloak and scarf on the coat rack by the door.  
"Just a moment!" she called back.  
As if her letters hadn't worried him enough, this certainly was concerning.  
He made his way across the front room toward the hall. Remus's feet had barely left the carpet beneath the sofa when he heard her shout, "Just wait on me out there!"  
Remus closed my eyes tight and sighed.  
"Sit down!" she called again, "and stop worrying!"  
"Forgive me if I have trouble doing that, love," he shouted back before sitting down on the edge of a chair.

After a few tense moments, Remus heard his wife walk down the hall. He looked up at her leaning against the doorway.  
"You had something to say?" he asked.  
She answered with a rather Sirius-like smirk; it must be a Black family trait.  
"You're up to something."  
"Aren't I always?"  
Remus frowned, "Yes, but it doesn't usually worry me quite this much."  
Her dark eyes twinkled mischievously and she called, "Alright, Teddy, come see your daddy."  
Remus's eyes remained on Dora, still concerned, as their three-year-old son's feet padded down the hall.

"Da!" Teddy shouted as he lept up into his arms.  
"Hello, Ted," Remus said, smiling, as he wrapped his arms around the small boy and pulled him into his lap.  
"Show Da your shirt, Teddy," Dora instructed.  
Remus pulled away from his son as he grabbed the sides of his blue t-shirt, urging his father to read the black writing on it.  
'Big Brother in Training' it read.  
Remus read it over two or three times before he looked up at his wife, "D-dora? Do you mean– Y-you're?"  
Dora's hair flashed to an electric blue and her face split in an ear-to-ear grin as she nodded.  
Remus still couldn't manage a complete thought, "You're– W-we're– We're having a-another–"  
"Another baby," she said, grin spreading from her hair to her face into her voice.

Remus picked Teddy up, holding him on his hip, as he cleared the room in a few long strides.  
His free arm moved to pull his wife as close as possible. He pressed his lips to the side of her head and he was certain that she could feel his smile.  
"So, you're excited?" she asked, "You're happy?"  
"Happy? Dora, I'm…I'm elated. I'm ecstatic."  
"Because last time–"  
"Last time was a war, Dora. Last time we didn't know how…my condition– but now we have Ted and we know," he explained.  
"No repeats of your reaction?" she asked in a way that sounded more like a warning.  
Remus kissed her intently before promising, "Never again."

Teddy wiggled between them and began squirming in an attempt to get down.  
Remus stepped away from Dora and helped Teddy to the carpet. Before his father could say a word, he scampered away down the hall toward his room.  
Remus returned his attention to Teddy's mother, "When did you find out?"She smiled, "Today. I was at St. Mungo's for a check-up after the trouble with that jinx last month."  
"Everything's still alright from that, isn't it?"  
Dora nodded, rolling her eyes slightly at what she percieved as over-protectiveness.  
"Do you know how far along you are?" Remus asked.  
She paused for a moment, trying to remember, "About six weeks."  
He did some math in his head, "So…July? August?"  
"Somewhere in there," she said smiling.  
Remus couldn't fight the smile that returned to his face, "I just can't believe it. Another baby. Merlin. Just….wow."  
"I know, right?" she said, draping her arms over her husband's shoulders.  
His hands moved to her waist and he kissed her again and again.  
"Did you tell Teddy?" Remus asked.  
She gave him a look like he was oblivious.  
Remus shook his head, "Right. The shirt. Did he understand?"  
She nodded, "As well as he can understand. One of his friends at nursery just had a baby sister, so…it's not a completely foreign concept to him."  
"And everyone else? Molly, Harry, your mother? Do they know?"  
"Well, Lex knows," she shrugged, "She was with me when they did the tests at St. Mungo's."  
He nodded. "When are you planning on telling the others?"  
"We're going to a dinner for Bill's birthday at Molly and Arthur's this Saturday. We could tell them then," she mused aloud.  
"And your mother?"  
"We'll go there before Bill's birthday."  
Remus sighed happily, "I love you so much, Dora."


	2. Taking Teddy to Nursery

Dora had to be at the auror office for an early morning today, which left Remus in charge of taking Teddy to nursery. Not that this was exceptionally out of the ordinary; Remus took him quite often, especially when the weather was nice and he walked to the castle rather than using Floo powder.  
The weather wasn't too bad this day. Cool, but not quite cold, which is nice considering that tomorrow would be the first day of December. So, he bundled Ted up and off they went.

About halfway to his school, Teddy looked up at Remus and said, "Da?"  
"Yes, son?"  
He adjusted the bottom of his knit cap so he could see his father better, a small tuft of jet-black hair stuck out across his forehead. Apparently, he decided that he wanted to look like Uncle Harry today. "When the baby coming?" he asked.  
"Oh," Remus said, rubbing his chin with his free hand, "not for quite a while."  
"How long?" he asked, looking confused.  
The elder Lupin thought for a second before replying, "Not until a little bit after your birthday."  
Teddy's face lit up, "I get baby for my birthday?!"  
With a little chuckle and shake of his head, Remus replied, "Not until after your birthday, Ted."  
"Why after?" he asked, looking frustrated, "I want my baby for my birthday."  
"Well," Remus began, scratching the back of his neck, unsure of how to answer, "the baby won't be ready on your birthday. Babies take a lot of time, son."  
Teddy scowled, "Baby needs to hurry."  
Remus laughed, "You are just as patient as your mother."  
By this time, they were nearing his nursery. Remus knelt down in front of his son and put a hand on either side of him. "Now, remember, Ted, the baby is a secret right now. You know what that means?" Remus asked, looking him in his forest green eyes.  
Teddy placed his index finger in front of his lips and said, "Shhh."  
His father smiled, "That's right. Don't tell anyone about the baby yet."  
"When I can tell?" he asked.  
Shaking his head and chuckling just a little at his remarkably Nymphadora-like patience, Remus said, "Saturday."  
"Saturday," he repeated.  
"When we go to Arthur and Molly's for a party, okay?"  
His eyes lit up, "See the chickens?!"  
At this, Remus couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, Teddy, we'll go see the chickens."

Remus stood back up and took his hand again, leading Teddy toward the nursery. After taking his son inside, just before he turned to leave, Remus said, "Remember what we talked about."  
He thought for a moment before putting his index finger to his lips again, "Shh."  
Remus nodded, "Be good, son."  
Teddy smiled back, "Be good, Da."


	3. Telling Andromeda

"I'm not sure I'm ready for this," Dora said, chewing on her bottom lip. Remus heard her sigh as they stood on the top step of her mother's stoop.  
He closed my eyes and smiled, " _The_ Nymphadora Tonks who battles the most vicious criminals in the wizarding world on a daily basis, who fought in a _war_ and went head-to-head with powerful dark wizards, is _scared_ of her _mother_."  
She stomped her heavy boot on the cement and scowled, "Of course I'm scared of my mother, Remus. She's my _mother_. _My_ mother. The hard-headed woman who had the nerve to name me 'Nymphadora.' Who was born to the Black family and married a muggle-born. Who nearly cursed your balls off when we told her that I was pregnant the first time."  
Uncomfortably, Remus shifted Teddy on his hip, "I recall."  
Dora looked at him with a look that was pleading for her husband to tell her that they didn't have to tell her mother. Half of his mind wanted to tell her that they could just go home and not tell Andromeda; however, the rational part of him knew that they couldn't keep the news from her forever.  
Remus reached over and took her hand, "It's better we tell her now. Imagine how angry she would be were she to find out through someone else."  
She gave him a resigned look before knocking on the door. He squeezed her hand a little and gave her a smile.

Andromeda Tonks opened the door and looked at them strangely, "Molly's party isn't for another hour. What has you so early?"  
As she ushered them into the house, Dora replied, "Can't I just stop by for a visit, Mum?" There was more than a touch of sarcasm to her voice.  
"Well, as long as you bring this little angel with you, you certainly can," Andromeda said, pinching Teddy's cheeks and taking him from his father's arms.  
"Ah, Andromeda, that's really flattering, but you know I'm a married man," Remus teased.  
"It's no wonder why you got along so well with Sirius," she said, swatting at his arm and swept Teddy away into the lounge. Dora and Remus followed, her clearly still nervous.  
"So, what's the news?" Andromeda asked.  
Her daughter looked at her, stunned, "What do you mean?"  
"Nymphadora," she said, sitting in a plush chair, "I wasn't born yesterday, you know? I'm your mother. I know when you're keeping something from me."

Remus took a seat on the couch and Dora sat next to me, fidgeting and tracing an imaginary line on her knee. Trying to comfort her, he placed a comforting hand on the knee that she wasn't tracing the next masterpiece upon.  
Andromeda bounced Teddy on her lap while he giggled. "When is the baby due?" she asked, watching her grandson's orange hair toss with each bound.  
Dora quite nearly fell off the sofa (she would have been on the floor had I not made a rather swift save). "How– I mean– D– Did someone tell you? How did you know?" Dora stuttered.  
The older woman smiled as her guess was confirmed, "I told you, Nymphadora, I know you." She lowered Teddy into the floor and stood to embrace her daughter.  
Nymphadora stood on slightly wobbly legs and wrapped her arms around her mother. In a barely audible whisper, Andromeda said into Dora's hair, "Your father would be so excited."  
As they parted, Andromeda asked, "So when will the baby be here?"  
"July," Remus answered, "or early August."

Andromeda turned to him as if she had forgotten that he was in the room. "And you're staying around this time, right?" she said in a voice that sounded much more like a threat than a question (she and her daughter are more alike than they would ever admit).  
Remus stood and wrapped an arm around his wife, "I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else."


	4. Telling the Weasleys

Somehow, despite the fact that Andromeda had been wearing a smile bigger than anyone could remember seeing, Dora was clearly nervous, and Teddy had been chattering with Harry since they arrived, the Lupins still managed to make it through most of Bill's birthday dinner without giving away their good news.  
Small talk was the order of business for the better part of the night.  
Well, small talk and fawning over Bill and Fleur's little daughter with white-blonde curls.  
Victoire was 18 months old and the newest baby to the little Order of the Phoenix family.  
At first, Teddy had been jealous of the baby girl and all the attention lavished on her by his honorary aunts and uncles- and his parents as well. However, as time went on, he began to enjoy having the new child around.

Molly called out to say that the meal was ready and everyone gathered under a large marquee in the back garden of the Burrow; the walls of said marquee had been enchanted to keep out the wind and heating charms had been cast to keep the occupants warm despite the chill of November around them.  
Somehow, it actually managed to be comfortable. Which is more than could be said if the entire party had been crammed into the Burrow.  
In addition to the Remus, Dora, and Teddy, the group included Molly, Arthur, Andromeda, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Victoire, Percy, his wife Audrey, George, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Neville.

After dining on more food than should be possible for one person to make, Molly brought out a beautiful cake decorated with charmed shimmering leaf and a tall, sparkling candle.  
Shortly after all tucked into that lovely orange cake, Remus felt his wife grabbing his knee under the table.  
He turned to look at her and saw that she was looking at him with an expression that told him she was ready to share their news.  
Remus smiled at her and moved his hand under the table to take hers.

"Excuse me, everyone," Remus said, raising his voice to get the attention of the whole table, "We…ah…Dora and I have something we'd like to share."  
Everyone's eyes were suddenly on him, most of them curious (although there was something about Molly's expression that indicated that she had some idea of what he was going to say).  
Andromeda beamed at both her daughter and son-in-law.  
Remus gave his wife's hand another squeeze and cleared his throat.  
"Sometime at the end of next July or the beginning of next August, the Lupin family will…ah…will be growing," Remus announced, looking around as he waited for the news to set in for their friends.  
"You're having another kid?!" Ron shouted with a smile.  
Harry bolted from his chair and was around the table in a flash. "And on my birthday, too! Fantastic!" he said, wrapping his arms around first Tonks and then Remus.  
Molly clapped her hands together, "How wonderful! Congratulations to you both!"  
The rest of the table shared their congratulations and Dora's nervous look was replaced by a smile even bigger than her mother's.

The sun had long ago set by the time everyone finished eating and the marquee was lit by several orange lanterns floating about.  
It cast the entire gathering in a warm and rather autumnal light that made everything seem wonderfully cozy.  
Molly caught Dora and Remus conversing with Harry and, seizing on a lull in the conversation, asked Dora, "How are you, dear?"  
The younger woman looked confused for a moment before realizing, "Oh, the pregnancy. Yeah. I'm...I'm good. Well, I'm as good as I was with Teddy."  
Remus shook his head, "Don't let her tell you that. She spends every morning as sick as a human being can possibly be."  
"That's not true."  
"It certainly is."  
Dora rolled her eyes at her husband's over-protectiveness, "You're such a dad, Remus."  
"Well, you know, that makes sense" Remus said with a cheeky grin, "since I am a father."  
His wife swatted at him," You know what I mean."  
Molly watched the two with a warm smile, "I'm just pleased to know that you're both happy. Forgive me, Remus, but after last time-"  
"I deserve your suspicion, Molly," Remus said, cutting her off, "I deserve everyone's suspicion and wariness-"  
"Remus-" Dora began, but he silenced her by gently raising a finger.  
"I deserve all of that, but that's just all the more reason that I'm going to do the right thing this time," he said, looking his wife, then to Molly who seemed pleased with the answer.  
Dora scoffed in an attempt to defuse the overly emotional conversation, "You'd best. Because if you think that I'm going to be chasing after a three-year-old while I'm nine months pregnant, then you have doxies in your skull."


	5. Trouble Sleeping

That night, after the party, Teddy was exhausted and fell asleep without much trouble.  
His parents soon retired to bed as well.  
Remus was almost asleep, but he could tell by her breathing that Dora was wide awake. He rolled over to face her and placed his hand on her lower abdomen, approximately over her womb.  
"What's wrong, love?" he asked, as he studied her profile and she stared at the ceiling.  
She didn't answer at once, so he knew that she must have been thinking on what to say.  
He had almost given up on a response when she asked, "What are we going to name it?"  
Remus, brain still more interested in sleep than deep thought, nevertheless he asked, "Excuse– er…name what?"  
She broke eye contact with the ceiling and stared at him with a confounded look. "The baby," she said, which made Remus feel rather dense. Of course that's what she meant. What else would they be naming?  
"Dora," he said, as he spread his fingers out across her still-mostly-flat stomach, "we have eight months to name the baby."  
"I know," she said, frowning a bit.  
Remus smiled at her in hopes that his smile would be contagious. "We don't even know yet whether it will be a boy or a girl," he reasoned.  
She seemed to think over that for a moment before she asked, "Which would you like?"  
"Dora, you know my opinion on this," Remus said, "as long as they're healthy, nothing else matters to me."  
She swatted at him and argued, "None of that philosopher shite, Lupin. Give me an answer."  
His eyes closed and he thought for just a moment before he answered, "A girl."  
"Really?"  
"Mmhmm. A daughter who is like her mother…and like my mother. Caring, loving, kind, pure-hearted, and sees beyond a person's lot in life to the depths of their souls," he answered.  
She smiled at him, a big smile, one that reached from her face to her heart. "Remus," she began.  
"However," he added, "I realize that must sound an awful lot like 'philosopher shite,' so let me just add that I also have some deep romantic notion of being daddy to a little girl. You know, tea parties, dancing, all of that."  
She rolled her eyes, "You're a git, you know that?"  
Remus smiled and leaned closely so that he could press his lips to her cheek, "Ah, well, I may be a git, but you're the one who chose to marry me."  
Dora curled against her husband's side, "I love you, Remus."  
"I love you, Dora."


	6. Christmas Shopping with Teddy

December arrived with strong cold winds.  
It seemed that the Lupins had barely time to take a breath before Christmas was upon them.  
Now, here it was, the weekend before the holiday and Remus still had not found a gift for Dora.  
However, he was out of work for the holidays while she was still going to the Ministry every weekday morning.  
This left him ample time to go into Diagon Alley to try to find her the perfect gift.

One slightly less frigid morning, he asked his son if he would like to join him on a little shopping trip.  
Teddy agreed enthusiastically, so Remus began to bundle the little boy up in his coat, boots, hat, and scarf.  
Before they left the house, Teddy ran to his room and dug a little bag of money out from under his bed.  
They made it through most of the day and Teddy's money stayed safely stashed in the pocket of his coat.

"Son," Remus asked, looking in a shop window, still unsure of what he was getting for his wife, "what are you planning to do with that money?"  
Teddy patted his pocket and the coins inside jingled, "Buy presents."  
Remus nodded, "Presents, eh? Who are you buying presents for?"  
He thought for a moment before saying, "You and mummy."  
"Any ideas?" the elder Lupin asked, smiling.  
Teddy scrunched his brows in thought before shaking his head, "Not yet."

They stepped into Rosa Lee Teabag and Remus paused for a moment to enjoy the scent of all the teas and herbs and spices. his intent was to buy Dora some of the ginger tea that she drank during her first pregnancy, but he decided to have a poke around the other merchandise.  
Teddy wormed his hand from his father's and Remus looked toward him. "Stay where I can see you, Ted."  
He nodded before wandering away to a rack of colorful mugs.

After picking out a parcel of ginger tea and determining that a gift for his wife was not to be found in the shop, Remus began working his way over to Teddy's location.  
"Ready to go, Ted?"  
He turned around quickly and said, "Da, no! Go away!"  
Remus raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What's wrong, Ted."  
Teddy stomped a little booted foot and said, "Go away, Dad!"  
"What's gotten into you, Teddy?" his father asked, now suspicious.  
He gave Remus a wide-eyed and impatient look, "I buying presents!"  
"Okay, okay," his father said, holding up my hands in defeat, "Let me go get someone else to help you."  
Teddy seemed to think that over for a moment before nodding, "'Kay."

Remus looked around before seeing a young woman in a shop apron. "Excuse me," he addressed her, "my son is over there buying Christmas gifts

for my wife and me. He won't let me help him, but I'm fairly certain that he needs some assistance."The woman smiled and nodded, "Not a problem."  
"He has some money, but if he needs more, just let me know. I'll cover it," he said before she turned to join Teddy at the shelves.

Remus stood back and watched as she crouched down and spoke to Teddy. He pulled the satchel of money from his pocket and let her count it. They talked for a little bit, pointing at different mugs. Every now and then, Teddy would either nod or shake his head.  
Teddy turned to look toward his and saw him watching. "Da!" he shouted and Remus knew that he would be wise to look away. So, he turned and thumbed through a book on tea growing regions.

"Alright, Dad," Remus heard Teddy chirp as he walked up to join him.  
They walked over to the counter together and Remus noticed that the shop worker had two items that appeared to be mugs wrapped in brown paper.  
The elder Lupin paid for his satchel of tea and then helped Teddy to reach the counter.  
"Would you like these wrapped?" the young witch asked the young boy. His eyes went wide and he nodded excitedly.  
She turned away from them and, after a moment of graceful wand movement, turned back with two packages wrapped in silver paper with beautiful blue ribbon.  
Teddy stared at the gifts on the counter and his hair turned from brown to blue as he smiled from ear to ear.  
"That will be sixteen sickles," she said, missing the transformation while she was scribbling something down on a ledger book.  
Teddy dumped the contents of his money bag onto the counter.  
"Alright, Ted," Remus said, shifting so that he could reach the counter, too, "how much do you have here?"  
Together they counted out all fourteen of the silver coins that had been in his bag. Remus reached into his pocket and paid the remaining two sickles of Teddy's tab.  
"That's perfect," the young woman said, smiling and adding the money to her till. She placed Teddy's packages into a paper bag and handed it across the table to the boy's gloved hands.  
His father lowered Teddy to the floor and they made their way out of the shop. Teddy smiled contentedly, holding the bag of his own shopping. Remus could tell from the way he was walking that he was feeling rather grown-up at the moment.

As they walked down Diagon Alley, Remus felt a tug on his hand and realized that Ted had stopped dead in his tracks. His father turned to look at him and found the child looking as though he had just remembered something very important.  
"What's wrong, son?" Remus asked.  
He looked up at his father, "I need to get baby something for Kissmas."  
Remus smiled and shook my head, "Not this year, Ted."  
"Next year?" he asked, trotting to catch up to Remus.  
His father nodded, "Next year."


	7. Order Christmas Party

Ron and George had rented out a ballroom above a shop on Diagon Alley for a Christmas party for the Order of the Phoenix.  
When Molly learned that the two brothers were handling the preparations, she nearly fainted.  
No matter how much her sons' insisted that they had everything well in hand, the Weasley matriarch had arrived at the ballroom early in the morning to oversee decoration before the boys finally shooed her away by requesting that she prepare some food.  
In true Molly tradition 'some food' became enough to feed twice as many people as were present.  
The party was really lovely.  
Almost all of the living members of the Order were there– even Kingsley.  
Which was a special treat, considering how busy his new job as Minister for Magic kept him.

Dora, Teddy, and Remus flooed to Diagon Alley in the early evening and found the ballroom already occupied by several of their friends.  
Of course, Molly and Arthur were there, watching as Ron and George enchanted some sparkling lights on several Christmas trees.  
"Ah!" Molly shouted as she saw the Lupins enter, "Bill is setting up a place for the children back near the windows."  
She abandoned her nitpicking at the buffet table and walked over to them.  
"Oh, Teddy," she cooed, pinching the little boy's cheeks, "would you like to go play with Victoire?"  
Teddy nodded and held his arms up to Molly.  
She plucked the tot up and carried him over to a playpen where Bill was showing his one-year-old daughter a plush duck.

More people were filtering in behind them and Dora and Remus made our way further into the room.  
In a regular pattern, round tables with white tablecloths were set up.  
Centerpieces on the table twinkled with blue-white fairy lights and gold stars.

"Oi! Tonks!" George shouted, waving at my Dora  
At roughly the same time, Kingsley grabbed Remus's arm and said, "Remus, just the man I was looking for."  
Dora looked at her husband who nodded, "I'll catch up later."

Kingsley wanted to speak with Remus about an effort he was leading to change the purpose of the Werewolf Registry to a way to provide social services to those cursed with lycanthropy.  
He hoped that Remus, as a beloved professor, would make a statement in support of the new Registry and encouraging werewolves to join.  
After promising to think over Kingsley's ideas and owl him if he thought of anything else, Remus began making his way through the crowd to where George and Dora were speaking near one of the large, sparkling trees.

When he approached, he saw that George was laughing while Dora gave him a glare that would have caused a lesser man to burst into flame.  
"What's going on here?" Remus asked.  
George opened his mouth to speak, but Dora silenced him with a slap to the chest.  
" _Nothing_ ," she said, rather pointedly, "George was just being a _colossal_ git."  
Remus looked at him confused, but before he could say anything, Dora grabbed his arm and started pulling him toward the buffet.

"So, what was that back there?" Remus asked as his wife began filling a plate with finger foods.  
She shook her head and told him, "Nothing. George was just taking the piss out of me."  
Remus picked up a plate and began following her lead, "Seems like he was really getting to you."  
Dora closed her eyes and sighed, "Why do you think I wanted away so quickly?"  
Trying to sound casual, Remus asked, "So, what was he teasing you about?"  
"Should we take Ted one of these sausages?" she asked, pretending that she hadn't heard him.  
Remus decided that it was in everyone's best interest to not press her any further at the party.

When they went to the window to take a plate of food to Teddy, he was sitting against the wall playing with a stuffed toy that looked remarkably like a three-headed dog.  
Dora crouched down to show him the food and asked, "What have you got there, Ted?"  
"Fuffy!" he shouted with a grin, holding the toy out to his mother.  
She looked it over, then looked up at her husband. It was, in fact, a three-headed dog.  
"Where did you get that, son?" she asked again.  
Teddy, still all smiles, replied, "Hagid."  
Remus threw his head back and laughed, "That makes sense."  
While Dora sliced a sausage on Teddy's plate, his father asked, "Did you tell Hagrid 'thank you'?"  
Teddy nodded and reached for the food.

At that moment, Remus felt a hand like a sledgehammer smack against his back, leaving him breathless for just a moment.  
"I see ye'v foun' the gift I brough' yer boy," Hagrid's voice boomed.  
Turning and smiling, Remus replied, "I should have known it was from you."  
Hagrid laughed heartily, "I told him tha' his name was Fluffy and tha' he looked like one o' my dogs."  
Looking at the highly unusual toy, Dora asked, "Where did you manage to find a three-headed dog stuffed toy, Hagrid?"  
The towering man simply winked one of his dark sparkling eyes and said, "I have my ways."

Some time later, while Dora and Remus sat at a table chatting with some of her coworkers and their dates, Molly pulled up a chair beside them.  
"Do you have plans for Christmas dinner?" she asked the couple.  
Remus looked at Tonks who shook her head. "Unless Mum has something planned that she hasn't mentioned," she answered.  
Molly smiled brightly at this, "Oh wonderful! You're all invited to Christmas dinner at the Burrow!"  
"Molly," Remus said, smiling, "we wouldn't want to impose."  
She dismissed the argument with a wave of her hand, "Oh, pish. Remus, you know that you're no imposition. Harry and Hermione will be joining, too. Besides, we all have presents for Teddy and it would be so nice to see him open them. Andromeda's invited, too, of course. Is she here?"  
"She was talking to Arthur earlier," Dora said, looking around the room for her mother.  
Molly nodded, "I'll find her and let her know that she's invited as well. I'll expect you around four. No need to bring anything."  
With that, Molly was off to find Andromeda or fuss over George's necktie– whichever she found first.


	8. Dora's Worries

The party last fairly late into the night, so Dora and Remus were ready for bed shortly after Teddy fell asleep.  
After tucking his son in and doing a last check around the house, Remus joined his wife in their bedroom.  
She was already changed into her pyjamas and was sitting against the headboard, reading a book.  
"Nice party tonight, wasn't it?" he asked as he began to change his clothes.  
"Oh yeah," she replied, closing her book, "food was great. Molly always outdoes herself."  
"Decorated nicely, too," Remus said, putting away his discarded garments.  
She chuckled, "You'd have never guessed that Ron and George were responsible."  
"Speaking of George," he said, pulling back the blankets and climbing into bed, "what did he say tonight that got you so upset?"  
Dora shook her head, "It's silly."  
She leaned over to put her book on the bedside table, "It shouldn't have bothered me so much."  
"It doesn't matter if it's silly, love," Remus said, relaxing into the soft mattress.  
She laid down and rolled to face me, "It does, though."  
"It does not."  
"You'll think I'm foolish."  
Remus rolled onto his side so that he could look her in the eyes, "It's something to do with the baby, isn't it?"  
She avoided eye contact, so he knew that he had guessed correctly. "Love, I'm sure it's not that foolish."  
Dora sighed, "He was just teasing me about having twins."  
Remus looked at her curiously, "So why does that have you so upset."  
She punched at her pillow and tossed her head a bit, "That's the thing. I don't know. I just…it makes me nervous is all."  
His arms reached out to hold her, "And having one baby doesn't make you nervous?"  
She swatted at her husband's chest, "You know it does. It's just…different, you know? Twice the work and all that."  
"It will be fine, Dora," he said, rubbing her back.  
Dora sighed, "It's just that…I have so much going on. I just got this supervisory position at work and Harry is at a crucial point in his training, it would be hard for him to switch to a new adviser at this point–"  
"Dora, Dora," Remus interrupted, speaking over her so that she would stop adding to her list of stresses. "It will be fine. You'll take your maternity leave when you need to. They're not going to fire you. You won't lose your supervisory position. Harry will be fine."

She gave him a look that seemed to say that she wasn't sure of all that he said. Remus pressed a kiss to her forehead and said, "The baby will come during the summer holiday. I'll be home without anything to do but take care of you and Teddy and however many babies there are."  
Remus moved his hands to her waist, "I mean that."  
She smiled at him, "I know you do."  
Dora squirmed so that she could reach his face to press a kiss against his lips.  
"Dora, we fought in a war. I think we can handle another baby," he kissed her again, "With a little luck, we could even handle two or three more babies."  
She chuckled and cuddled against his chest, "Let's not get carried away."


	9. Christmas with the Lupins

The sun was barely over the horizon when a shout echoed down the hallway, "Muuuuuuuuuuuuum! Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" followed by the patter of little feet on a wooden floor.  
Before Remus had a chance to think about anything, a mass hit the foot of their bed and continued calling, "Mum! Da! Wake up! It's kissmas! Wake up!"  
Christmas was here.

This was the first year that Teddy had barreled into their room on Christmas morning, but something inside of his parents had just expected it. Perhaps it was just parental instincts.  
"Ah, Ted, the sun's not even up yet," Dora mumbled, pushing her face down into her pillow.  
Their son grabbed at the blankets of the bed and shook. "But presents," he moaned.  
Remus turned to his wife and chucked, "The sun may not be up, but ours is."  
She groaned, "He gets this from you, you know?"  
"Ah, yes," he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek, "a bit more of your genes and we'd be celebrating Christmas morning sometime around 11."  
Dora smiled, "What's wrong with that?"

"Muuuuuuuuum. Daaaaaaaaaaa," Teddy called again, sliding down the side of the bed and slumping onto the floor.  
"Alright, alright, son, we're getting up," Remus said, throwing the blankets down and beginning to stand.  
Teddy was by the Christmas tree before his mother and father had even made it out of their bedroom.  
"Is this one mine?" he asked, pointing at a wrapped box under the tree.  
"Wait for your mother," Remus said, crouching down to his son's level.  
Teddy hopped up and ran to his mother, taking her hand and dragging her toward the tree, "C'mon, Mum."  
Dora just laughed as she let the little boy lead her.  
While he was pushing and pulling her toward a seat, his father checked a few gifts.  
By the time the boy rejoined him in the floor, Remus had two of his gifts sitting and waiting for him.  
"These are mine?" he asked, eyes wide.  
Remus nodded, but before he could say anything, Teddy was tearing into the packages with an animal-like fervor.

After Teddy had unwrapped his fair share of toys, clothes, and books from his mother and father, he gasped and ran to the back of the tree.  
When he returned, he had the two wrapped parcels from the tea shop.  
"Da!" he chirped, handing Remus one of the boxes then one to Dora, "and Mum!"  
Remus opened the box and pulled out a white mug with a red interior.  
"Oh, Ted, it's fantastic!" he said, looking at the mug. It had a full-color Gryffindor crest on the front and the word "Dad" written in gold on the back.  
Teddy beamed at his father, then turned toward his mother.  
"Teddy! This is so cool!" she said wrapping her arms around him in a big hug, "Did you pick this out on your own?"  
He nodded, "I pay for it, too!"  
She looked genuinely surprised and looked at her husband for confirmation.  
Remus nodded, "He did…well, all but a few sickles."  
" _Teddy_!," she gasped with tears in her eyes (which would certainly have been blamed on pregnancy hormones, should someone have asked), "You're growing up so fast!"

The little boy looked prouder than ever.  
Meanwhile, Remus took a look at the mug he had bought for his mother.  
It was a solid light blue colour and said "Mum" on it in black.  
The package said that it would change colour from blue to pink when exposed to warm drinks.  
The boy certainly had outdone himself.

After they had finished our little Christmas morning celebration, the family flooed to Andromeda's for gifts before the four travelled to the Burrow for the Weasley family Christmas.

"Teddy!" Harry said, ambushing them the moment we stepped off the hearth.  
"Harry!" the little boy returned, squirming in his mother's arms, holding his hands out to his godfather.  
Harry plucked him from Dora's arms and began carrying him toward the Christmas tree, "You ready for your present, Ted?"  
"Not yet!" Molly called from the kitchen, "Not yet, Harry!"  
Even from across the room, Dora and Remus could see Harry rolling his eyes. "Fine then, since Auntie Molly won't let us open a gift yet, why don't we have a go at some crackers?"  
Teddy cheered his approval and they headed to the couch where Ron was seated with a stack of wizard crackers.  
A series of bangs later and Harry was wearing a shiny green top hat, Ron a gold-coloured crown, and Teddy a coonskin cap.  
Remus couldn't hold back his laugh as the furry hat fell over his son's eyes and he had to adjust it on his small head.

"What prizes did you get?" Dora asked, sitting on a chair near the trio.  
Harry showed a set of bright orange gobstones, Ron had a bag of never-fail firecrackers, and Teddy was admiring a toy hippogriff that was currently flittering above the table.  
"Oh, wow," Tonks said, "they're putting better stuff in them than they did when I was a kid."  
Remus left his wife with the boys and went to see if Molly needed any help in the kitchen.

After a massive dinner, everyone gathered in the lounge where the Christmas tree sparkled.  
Teddy and Victoire sat very close to it, eyes sparkling as they looked at all the ornaments and tinsel shimmering.  
"Mind if I give Teddy his gift now?" Harry asked, looking toward Molly.  
She waved a hand, "Go ahead."  
With a big smile, Harry got into the floor with the children and pulled a large package out from under the tree and handed it to Teddy. "And here's one for you, too, Victoire," he said, handing a second, smaller parcel to the little blond girl. She squealed with delight as her father moved beside her to help unwrap the gift.

While everyone was watching Victoire fawning over the toy unicorn Harry had given her, Remus heard the gifter telling his son, "Now, his name is Moony. Take very good care of him."  
Remus whipped his head around to see his son, arms wrapped around a stuffed toy wolf that was larger than the little boy.  
"You didn't," he said, glaring at Harry.  
However, any anger Remus may have had dissolved when Harry said, "Of course I did" and gave a look that could have very well been James Potter, himself, reincarnated.

Over the next hour or so, everyone exchanged gifts, the children accumulating ever-growing piles of toys (well, other than the gifts from Hermione, Percy and Audrey, those were storybooks).  
When Teddy opened the gift from George, he ran over to his mother. "Mum! Quiich!" he shouted, showing her a toy bat and bludger, both made from foam.  
"Oh, yeah, Teddy. Quidditch," she said, taking it from him and looking it over  
"Play now?" he asked.  
Clearly she intended to tell him that he needed to wait until the rest of the gifts were opened, but he gave her an eager look and she couldn't help but surrender.  
"Here! Let me!" George said, moving over to sit in the floor in front of Teddy.  
He took the bat and showed Teddy how to hold it, "Like this, see?"  
Teddy nodded and took the bat from the former beater.  
"Right. Exactly," George said with a smile, "now, swing that and hit the ball, okay?"  
Teddy nodded again. George pulled out his wand and charmed the foam bludger to rise from the floor. The little boy stared at it in awe.  
"Ready?" George asked.  
"Ready!" Teddy confirmed.  
Slowly, George moved the ball toward the little boy. With an almighty swing, he made contact with the bludger and sent it halfway across the lounge.  
George beamed, "You're a born beater, Teddy!"  
Teddy laughed and smiled and ran across the room to fetch the ball, "Again! Again!"  
"You've still other gifts to open, dear," Molly reminded Teddy, who immediately dropped the bat and ball onto his pile of gifts.

His final gift was from Ron, who had bought for him a foam quaffle.  
The rest of Teddy's evening was spent tossing the quaffle with anyone who was willing to play with him.  
"I can play on my broom?" Teddy asked, looking in awe at the gift from the youngest Weasley child (other than Victoire, of course).  
Ginny had recently joined the practice squad of the Holyhead Harpies and had purchased a toy version of a top of the line racing broom for the young boy.  
Remus shook his head, "Not tonight, son."  
Teddy looked disappointed as he tossed the red ball into his father's waiting arms.  
Remus lobbed it back to him and offered a compromise, "How about, if the weather is nice, tomorrow we can go out and play on your broom?"  
As Teddy threw the quaffle back, he asked, "Play quiich?"  
"Whatever you'd like," his father answered, which seemed to satisfy the boy as he was all smiles for the rest of the night.


End file.
